Here’s an ad from CSEA trashing the new Tier VI pension deal. Rather than taking issue with the reduced benefits, which have been described as a 40 percent reduction, this goes after the defined contribution, or 401(k)-type option that, in a compromise, will be available to top government officials including lawmakers who earn $75,000 or […] More »

Joe Rabito is not running for Assembly. Several politicos had mentioned that Rabito, Albany’s former commissioner of development and planning and a close political assistant to Gov. Andrew Cuomo, might be interested in running for the seat being vacated by Jack McEneny, who formally announced his retirement last night. Rabito sent an e-mail putting the […] More »

Not trying very hard to suppress his delight at being able to swiftly and cleanly smother a flareup of press indignation over a question of transparency, Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s spokesman Josh Vlasto states: “Believe it or not, an article in the newspaper is wrong. The governor was not in Miami.” The article in question was […] More »

Mark your calendars: Tuesday is the first day to bid on 450 “high mileage” vehicles sitting on a lot at the Harriman Campus, which are set to be surplussed from the state fleet. The state has auctioned off vehicles before, of course, but this is the first time it’s using an online auction — through […] More »

Good morning! Gov. Andrew Cuomo remains in Albany as state legislators continue their march toward budget passage. (Cuomo has no publicly announced appearances today.) At 10, I’ll be up at the Harriman Campus to see some 450 used cars the state is trying to sell. There will also be a cool symposium today at Albany […] More »

ALBANY — With a smile and a wave, Jack McEneny is bidding elective life goodbye. After forty years in government and twenty representing the Capital city in the Assembly, McEneny declined the Democratic Party’s endorsement for another term, a bittersweet coda that will stir fervent politicking among Democrats hoping to succeed him. “There are people […] More »

It’s great that lawmakers aren’t stuck in the chamber all night voting to approve the state budget this week. They can go to fundraisers! Here’s a list of some of this week’s fundraising invites, compiled by a source who gets invited and doesn’t much like going. Date Time Fundraiser Type Location Lowest Ticket Price = […] More »

Health exchanges are awful. Long live the health exchanges. Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos and his band of 32 Republicans have successfully blocked legislative action to create an exchange in New York, as mandated by the 2010 Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, where Empire State citizens can purchase health insurance. “If you enroll a million […] More »

Standing near the Senate chamber, the 99% New York coalition — composed of Occupy Albany, New Yorkers for Fiscal Fairness, unions and other advocacy groups — expressed its unhappiness with the imminent passage of the state budget. The coalition said the budget left corporate tax loopholes open while not providing enough aid to education. Last […] More »

Here’s the federal suit, filed on behalf of the Hasidic community and others in the Rockland County town of Ramapo, which was divided up in the Assembly redistricting map. It joins what looks like a growing list of legal actions over the oft-criticized gerrymandered districts, including moves by the Asian American Legal Defense and Education […] More »

Sen. Ruben Diaz Sr., whose “What You Should Know” e-mail series often reads like the Federalist Papers on acid, uses his latest missive to offer a backhanded compliment to Sen. Jeff Klein, cast by Diaz as the mastermind behind the breakaway Independent Democratic Conference. Diaz, who periodically feuds with Minority Leader John Sampson (over same-sex […] More »

Education funding advocates including superintendents, union activists, parents and school board members say they are glad that the 2012-13 budget puts back $805 million (thanks to the new millionaires tax) and they like the fact that only $50 million will be allocated on the basis of competitive grants, compared to the original call for $250 […] More »

Assembly members of both sides of the aisle have been invited to a dinner with Gov. Andrew Cuomo for passing the budget for next year. The bash is Wednesday evening at the executive mansion, at least two days before the Legislature will have completed actually passing the budget. The Senate is expected to be invited […] More »

The concourse connecting the Empire State Plaza and the LOB features an exhibit on the hazards of distracted driving, including the remnants of a car involved in a double-fatal accident in which a young woman was texting while driving her intoxicated boyfriend home. The wreck has been signed by more than 6,000 students. There’s also […] More »

NDN politics videos

About Capitol Confidential

Capitol Confidential gathers the best coverage of New York politics and puts it all together. Each section - Capitol, The State Worker, New York on the Potomac, and Voices - represents a unique facet of the political scene. The Capitol section features coverage from the Times Union Capitol bureau. The State Worker is dedicated to state worker issues. New York on the Potomac offers news of interest to New Yorkers from Washington. And Voices features the best of everything else, pointing you to columnists and bloggers from across the Web.